At the rate they're going they'll probably ask us for a contingency groundshare agreement in case they get into the Premier League
Now that Roy Hodgson has left Liverpool and joined a big club, he's starting to do the business again.
Evening all Hope you all had a good Christmas. After a very festive couple of days with family in Northants we returned via the Vic today, enjoying the game if not the late equaliser. We didn't get going for a long while today. Cardiff had a lot of possession and probably ought to have been ahead by half time. They seemed to tire in the second half and we started to look ore threatening. Mariappa, Nosworthy, Hogg and Deeney were excellent today. The biggest disappointment, Loach aside, was that we didn't put them under more pressure down the flanks. Their defence looked cumbersome but too often Yeates and Kightly took too many touches or failed to deliver a decent cross. Despite the lovely run for the goal Marvin didn't have one of his better days, only really coming to life after we scored. For me Dickenson wins the fans over by his determination but his tackling and positional play are both subject to lapses of concentration. Buaben was occasionally neat but too often uninvolved, relying on Hogg to do all the midfield work. I've been impressed by Deeney in the last two games, though I wasn't always a fan of his. He's playing in his best position now and seems to have gained a bit of presence. He puts genuine pressure on defenders now and seems to relish a bit of contact. Hodson was a mixed bag. He gets forward well and he worries at attackers with great persistence but is inclined to lose possession for us with inaccurate passing. Finally Loach...he's a bit like a rabbit in the headlights at the moment. Cardiff surrounded him with tall players at set pieces and the 6 yard box was like Oxford Street in the sales at times. That said, he has to get in among them with a bit more force. From the stands it doesn't look as though he's either confident or communicating well with his defence. One thing I am sure of though...he won't get any better with the ome crowd on his back. Lastly, Mrs H attended the game today (her third in seven years, all on Boxing Day). Her record so far is Won 1, Drew 2, Lost 0: Goals For 3 Against 2...not fantastically impressive form, but so far unbeaten!
Prince was poor today. Aside from the goal he did precious little, and made way too many misplaced passes. Disappointing, to be honest. I can't believe he got MOM. i'd have taken him off (as Barry said)...after 20 minutes of the second half. He just wasn't up to it today.
Until Mcginn comes back ,though he is the nearest thing we have to a creative Mid! As NNW pointed out maybe he had an extended run out for the full game because of the 2 games in 3 days coming up!
Compare that to my record this season - W 0 D 2 L 1 F 3 A 7 if that carries on, we can forget winning on NYE and at Forest and Posh.
As I was walking down Occupation Road before the match, I heard someone say that they were going to chant "Swansea are better than you". I thought that would be the most stupid thing to chant and you'd be taking your life in your own hands - literally. Think of how much the Welsh hate the English, then multiply that by 10 and you're not even close to the amount Cardiff and Swansea hate each other and I'm not just talking football rivalry, I'm talking about the people born and raised in the cities no matter who they support - or at least that was the impression I had was when I was at Uni. Whether it has changed in the last 15 years, I don't know.
Oh very cool! My footie buddy will be there too, with his son, but i don't mind getting all the tickets so that we sit together...
